Known for the sound made by someone gasping for breath, whooping cough can cause serious illness and it’s on the rise in Nebraska. Nine cases were reported in July in Douglas County. Listen to the sound of whooping cough.
What is it?
The disease, pertussis, has the same appearance as a bad cough and cold in its early state. Pertussis is caused by exposure to a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis and is very contagious.
What are the symptoms?
The early symptoms, which follow exposure to the bacterium from 6 to 20 days are:
-
sinus congestion
- runny nose
- slight sore throat
- low grade or absent fever
This stage lasts 1 to 2 weeks.
Coughing becomes progressively worse during the second stage of the illness, which can last from 2 to 4 weeks. The “whooping” sound may be heard when the coughs come so close together that the person gasps for air. The symptoms lessen during the last stage, which can last from 2 to 4 weeks.
Who is at risk?
Adults, children and infants are all at risk to contract the disease – usually from inhaling the pertussis bacteria from an infected person coughing or sneezing near them. Infants and children are stricken the most severely by whooping cough with more than half of infants younger than 12 months being hospitalized. This illness can also progress into pneumonia.
How do I prevent it?
Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate. Current vaccines protect against whopping cough, tetanus and diphtheria.
The childhood vaccine is called DTaP and is administered in five shots. The first three shots are given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. The fourth shot is given between 15 and 18 months of age, and a fifth shot is given when a child enters school, at 4–6 years of age.
The whooping cough booster vaccine for adolescents and adults is called Tdap. This year, all seventh grade students in Nebraska are required to receive the booster vaccination. Prior to 2005 the combined vaccine for whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria was not available for adolescents and adults. If you received a tetanus booster prior to 2005, you may not be inoculated against pertussis. Check with your provider.
Getting vaccinated with Tdap is especially important for families with and caregivers of new infants.
More information:
- Silence the Sounds of Pertussis (Sanofi Pasteur)
- Pertussis in Adults (Bestcare Health Library)
- Whooping Cough – what you need to know (Centers for Disease Control)
- Pertussis Vaccination information (Centers for Disease Control)
Methodist Health System Resources:
- Find a physician.
- Learn more about the Methodist Infectious Disease Clinic.
- Find a location near you.
- Request an appointment.
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